Multistage method for producing hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel and thermal gas- generator setup of its implementation

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method for producing hydrocarbon-containing gaseous fuel comprises at least three stages. 
     In the first stage water is entered for heating and water steam forming in the second stage hydrocarbon component is entered and mixed with water steam by injecting The mixture is heated and directed to third and subsequent stages to additional heating for fuel producing. 
     Turbo generator setup is made as two cylinder tubes, forming technological cylinder, divided on isolated sections. The first section is made with induction heat source for system start-up, the second section is made with injector type mixer. The inner tube cavity forms the firing chamber. In technological cylinder multistage components and mixture heated and additional heating in subsequent sections are realized until forming of hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel. Burning system is installed on the firing chamber inlet. Working torch forming element, as a restriction device is installed on the firing chamber outlet.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to energy-saving technologies mainly to methods and setups for converting water H2O in hydrogen-containing gas in combination with catalyst medium from line of C_(n)H_(2n+)2 (dieses fuel, residual oil) in continuous heat flame medium, when a burning temperature above 500° C.

Most often such methods refer to systems, in which gaseous fuel producing and its implementation by burning are combined into a single cycle, but such systems may be used also for the accumulation of hydrogen-containing gas fuel.

2. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Known is a method of hydrogen-containing gas generating (U.S. Pat. No. 1,144,977, 1985), where components are burned in the high temperature mode at producing of hydrogen-containing gas.

The disadvantage of the method is the high power consumption.

Known is a method of gas producing from hydrocarbon raw material (U.S. Pat. No. 939380, 1982), wherein water steam, superheated up to 430 degrees, is mixed with hydrocarbons with following heating of the steam and gas mixture.

The disadvantage of the method consists in the necessity to apply an additional energy source to produce superheated steam and subsequent heating.

Known is application of water steam in its various phase states, all of which are characterized by different equilibrium states (Soviet encyclopedic dictionary, M. 1985, -p 962, Ref. “Steam”).

Also known is adopted by the applicant as a closest analog “Method of producing hydrogen-containing gas in the turbo-generator setup>> (RU Pat. No. 2269486, 2006).

Known method and device for its implementation have the same purpose as the claimed technical solution, with all that method is characterized by sequence of operations by stages, combined in a single closed cycle, and the device contains sections, corresponding to these stages.

As for the method, in the known technical solution is realized multistage method of producing of hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel with closed cycle, including process start-up in the mode of forced warm-up and realization of a self-heating process in the normal mode of self-heating, which includes mixing of the hydrocarbon component and water, their entering by pumping under the pressure, heating, fuel return and ignition.

In the known technical solution the initial mixing in liquid phase of water and hydrocarbon component at normal (20 degrees) components temperature does not ensure stability of dispersed composition of the mixture, directed in the further on heating to produce fuel.

After cessation of mixing (i.e., from the moment of arriving the mixture to heat), reverse process start up—it is the mixture lamination due to different densities of water and hydrocarbon component.

This leads to the heterogeneity of the mixture on the dispersed composition. During the subsequent heating of the mixture it is observed also heterogeneity on the temperature.

These heterogeneity are saved in the final product—the fuel mixture, directed to the torch ignition, it causes torch burning instability, due by the one side by forming in the mixture local centers (on composition), where the mixture has no ability to burn, that causes disruption of ignition and extinction of the torch (which is typical for heavy hydrocarbon components). On the other side, occurs forming in the mixture local centers of rapid burning, which lead to unauthorized flash of flame in the torch, which is typical for light hydrocarbon components.

As for the known device, it includes relevant elements of the method realization, inherent also to the claimed technical solution.

Thermal gas generator setup is designed as a single device, which has a complex multi-section corps, the setup includes a burner system, firing chamber, device for mixing the components, ignition pulse device, pipes, and start-up system, which includes start-up burner with a supply of combustible fuel. The device has disadvantages, inherent to the implemented method, including failures occurrence in the process of fuel producing due to the heterogeneity of the mixture.

3. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The technical problem consists in eliminating the disadvantages of the known technical solution, ensuring the stability of process of hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel producing, decreasing of energy consumption, and hydrocarbon component discharge.

This result is achieved by the following steps of:

realizing of fuel producing as a multi stages process, with closed cycle, where in the first stage water is introduced and heated up to water steam formation, at later stages hydrocarbon component is introduced and mixed with water steam to form water steam and hydrocarbon mixture,

entering separately, by pumping under pressure, the hydrocarbon component and water into the heated by firing torch technological cylinder, which is divided on isolated sections, number of which corresponds the number of fuel producing stages,

heating, additionally, the mixture up to a temperature of forming of hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel.

separating the fuel flow and directing one its part into ignition zone, to ensure firing torch burning and other part—for storing and/or external consuming.

realizing start-up of process in the forced heating mode, and carrying out of process—in the normal mode of self-heating.

Processes of formation of hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel, in the normal mode of self-heating, is carried out with heating in three stages, in the first stage water is introduced by pumping under the pressure of 0.3-0.5 MPa and it is heated up to the forming of water steam with a temperature of 500-550° C., in the second stage hydrocarbon component is introduced into the mixer by pumping under pressure of 0.3-0.5 MPa, this component is mixed with water steam in the mixer by injection under pressure of 0.06-0.25 MPa, at a ratio of water to hydrocarbon component from 1 0.5:1 to 8:1, and the mixture is heated up to a temperature of 1000-1100° C., at the third stage the mixture is heated up to a temperature of 1300-2000° C.

Ignition, in the normal mode of self-heating, is carried out by the ignition pulse unit with an external source—sparking generator, running with a frequency of 1-2 Hz.

Flow of gaseous fuel, in the normal mode of self-heating, is separated and directed one its part into igniting zone, to form the fire torch, and other part—for storage and/or external consumption.

The process of formation and maintenance of the fire torch is carried out with a turbo charging.

At the process start-up in a mode of forced heating first perform preliminary pumping of water in an amount of 40-50% of maximum amount of normal working volume under pressure 0.3-0.5 MPa, in the first stage heating is carried out until formation of water steam at a temperature 450-500° C., heating is carried out from an independent source of heat, such as, for example, induction heater.

Ignition of the steam and hydrocarbon mixture, or other fuel components, at start-up of the process in a forced heating mode is carried out from an independent source by ignition spark pulse device with an independent sparking source which operates with a frequency of 40-50 Hz.

A thermal gas setup for hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel producing with closed cycle, said setup comprising corpus, a burner system, firing chamber, unit for components mixing, pulse ignition unit, pipes and start-up system, including independent induction heat source, start-up burner with supply of combustible fuel, the setup is equipped with fuel tanks, made as separate sealed discharge containers for water and hydrocarbon component, corpus is made as single, as a two cylindrical tubes, imbedded in one another with a gap, forming technological cylinder, divided on three isolated sections, so the section number correspond to number of stages of the process of making of fuel mixture, said cylinder concludes: the 1-st section with an independent induction source of heat, section corresponds to vaporization stage, 2-nd section of stage of components mixing and heating a steam and gas mixture, 3-d section of the additional heating stage for the fuel mixture producing, the inner tube cavity forms the firing chamber, unit for mixing is made as injector with separate inlets for water as a steam, and hydrocarbon component, with all that outlet of the last section of the technological cylinder is connected via pipe to the inlet of firing chamber, where is installed the burner system with ignition device with spark ignition pulse source, a working burner, start-up burner, at the firing chamber outlet is installed working torch forming element, as a restriction device, discharge water container is connected via pipe to the inlet of a first section of the technological cylinder, outlet of which is connected via pipe to 1-st inlet of injector, the second inlet of injector is connected via pipe to discharge container of hydrocarbon component, injector outlet is connected via pipe to the technological cylinder second section, connected via pipe to third section of technological cylinder.

Ratio of radii of tubes, forming the technological cylinder for fuel mixture producing is:

0.3>(R1/r2)>0.1

Where R1—outer diameter of the inner tube.

-   -   r2—inner diameter of outer tube

The turbo charging unit is installed on the inlet of the burner system.

The constant overpressure of 0.3-0.5 MPa is supported in the discharge containers.

3.2. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows block-diagram of the algorithm, realizing the method:

a)—generalized block-diagram of the algorithm;

b)—detailed block-diagram with basic elements;

FIG. 2—shows the scheme of three-section thermal gas-generator setup,

FIG. 3—shows profile II-II in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4—shows profile II-II in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5—shows scheme of injection type mixer;

FIG. 6—shows thermal temperature regime in the technological cylinder.

The following designations are used in all drawings:

1—discharge water container; 2—discharge container for hydrocarbon component S_(n)H_(2n)+2; 3—working burner; 4—startup burner; 5—external independent source-generator with pulsed spark igniter; 6—turbocharger unit; 7—induction (pin) heater of turbo generator startup; 8—injection type mixer; 9—fire chamber; 10—first section of the technological cylinder; 11—second section of the technological cylinder; 12—third section of technological cylinder; 13—zone of ignition; inflammation and fire torch formation; 14—zone of technological burning of firing torch (firing torch zone); 15—unit for forming the working torch; 16—working torch zone; 17—technological pipe for water supply by pumping from the discharge water container 1 into the first section 10 of technological cylinder; 18—technological pipe for supply hydrocarbon component S_(n)H_(2n)+2 by pumping from the discharge hydrocarbon container 2 into the injection type mixer 8; 19—technological pipe for steam supply from the first section 10 of technological cylinder into the injection type mixer 8; 20—technological pipe for steam and hydrocarbons mixture supply from the mixer 8 into the second section 11 of technological cylinder; 21—technological pipe for steam and hydrocarbons mixture supply from the second section 11 into the third section 12 of the technological cylinder; 22—technological pipe for steam and hydrocarbons mixture supply from the second section 11 into the start-up burner 4 (return of fuel in the forced heating mode); 23—technological pipe for fuel supply from the third section 12 of technological cylinder into working burner 3 (return of the fuel in the normal mode of self-heating); 24—pipe of fuel take-off for external fuel consumer; 25—control valve; 26—the place of water loading into the discharge container 1; 27—the place of hydrocarbon fuel loading into the discharge container 2; 28—devices for control the head and the pressure in the technological pipes; 29—water steam generation (realizing of process of water steam generation 1, 10 water supply from 1 into 10 for vaporization); 30—fire torch formation; 31—mixing and heating of the water steam and hydrocarbon mixture; 32—heating of the steam and hydrocarbon mixture for fuel producing; 33—inner cylinder of thermal gas generator; 34—outer cylinder of thermal gas generator: a)—supply of steam and hydrocarbon mixture from the second section 11 of the technological cylinder for running process, b)—supply of combustible mixture from an external source for running process, c—supply of hydrocarbon component for running process; 35—technological cylinder heating.

The essence of the proposed method consists in the following:

The method and the setup realizes the dependence of H₂O+S_(n)H_(2n+2)=H₂+CO₂ in high-temperature multi-stage mode.

The thermal ability of carbon is best utilized at water gas.

On the vaporization of water gas of carbon it is requires 8% of its own resources, with all that the water gas consists mainly of CO (40-60%) and H2 (30-50%).

Water gas formation is a complex, at least two-stage process: at 500° C. is a complete decomposition on hydrogen and carbon dioxide (C+2H2O=2H2+CO2, at 1000-1200° C.—decomposition on hydrogen and carbon monoxide (CO2+C=2CO).

If the water is taken in a steam state, the decomposition of water steam (C+H2O=CO+H2) is accompanied by heat losses, and therefore leads to a cooling, in relation to these, to compensate heat losses, temperature of the first stage of heating must be higher than temperature of final stage—it must be not less than 1300° C.

Presence of the turbo pumping (air, oxygen or other additional oxidant) gives a possibility to obtain so-called generator gas with a temperature of mixture burning of 1935° C., at actual absence on the output environmentally harmful components.

The essence of method is shown in the block-diagram of algorithm its realization (FIG. 1).

The method includes (FIG. 1 a) fire torch forming and providing of technological burning (30) for heating components and mixture in the technological cylinder 35.

To provide the process realization, and claimed technical problem decision it is envisage separation of the technological streams with separate supply 17-18 components—water 1 and the hydrocarbon component 2.

Water is supplied for heating and vaporization 29 for subsequent steam supply 19 for mixing with the hydrocarbon component and subsequent heating of the steam and hydrocarbon mixture 31, which already at this stage may be a flammable mixture.

This mixture is used during start-up of system 22. Then, the mixture is sent to the next stages of processing 32—for additional warm-up 20-21. The resulting fuel is sent to the system inlet for ignition 23, it used also to create a working torch at the setup outlet

Heating of components and mixture 35 in normal mode is cooled out by means of technological cylinder, having several sections, according to the stages number for implementing of the method.

Components—water and hydrocarbon component are loaded into sealed containers 1, 2 under the constant pressure of 0.3-0.5 MPa to ensure their uninterrupted supply to the system by pumping through control valves 25 (FIG. 1 a, FIG. 2). Loading can be carried out periodically, as fast, as component discharge, as well as continuously.

Because as a basis is taken a three-stage process, on the first stage in the normal mode of self-heating, water is heated up to superheated steam with temperature of 500-550° C., and in the start-up mode with forced heating—up to temperature of 450-500° C.

The resulting superheated steam is directed to the mixing with the hydrocarbon components. Mixing is provided by injection 8 of steam (FIG. 5).

Then the steam and hydrocarbon mixture is additionally heated in the second section of the technological cylinder 11 and in the third section 12 mixture is heated up to a temperature of formation of gaseous fuel, which in the normal mode of self-heating is directed to return 23 for igniting and flame torch formation.

In the start-up mode with forced heating 7 the steam and hydrocarbon mixture is directed 22 for ignition from the second section 11

The efficiency of the method consists in increasing of stability of process of hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel producing (a significant reduction of failures number), reduction of power consumption and hydrocarbon component discharge (increasing the value of indicator of water/diesel fuel ratio).

The table below shows the comparative characteristics of the known technical solutions and proposed method, these characteristics confirms the efficiency of proposed method and its possibility to solve the claimed technical problem.

TABLE Example of a concrete implementation of the method and the technical characteristics thermal gas generator setups, realizing the Arakelyan GG method Setup Setup “Grantstroy” “Grantstroy” type VTPGU-1 type VTTGU-700 Unit of series of 2009 series of 2011 Technical measure- (implementation of (implementation of characteristic ment the prototype) the claimed solution) discharge of liters 20-25 20-25 Water H2O per hour Diesel fuel liters 3.0-3.1 2.4-2.5 discharge in per hour normal mode Water/diesel (6.5:1)-(8.0:1) (8.0:1)-(10.4:1) fuel ratio Average (7.25:1) Average (9.5:1) (87.9:12.1)% (90.5:9.5)% Setup outer mm 203 203 diameter Thermal power Gcal 1.0 1.0 Average fre- Flame 0.1 0.01 quency of the failure flame failure per hour on an operating time of 1,000 hours

Implement of the Method

The method is implemented using the setup, including appropriate elements of the method realizing, it is made as a single device, which has a complex multi section corpus, a burner system 30, the firing chamber 9, injection type unit for mixing the components 8, the pulse ignition unit 5, pipes and start-up system, including start-up burner 4 with a supply of combustible fuel (a, b, or c).

The corpus is made single as two cylindrical tubes, imbedded in one another 33, 34, with a gap, forming technological cylinder.

Technological cylinder is heated by the firing torch, it is divided on hermetically isolated sections 10, 11, 12—the section number corresponds to the stages number of the fuel mixture making process.

The first section 10 corresponds to vaporization stage. This section is equipped with an independent induction source of heat 7 for realizing the start-up process

The second setup part, corresponding to stage of components mixing and heating of a water steam and gas mixture, includes a section 11 of technological cylinder, injection type mixer 8.

The third section 12 serves for final warming-up of mixture and producing of fuel.

Inner tube cavity 9 with an inner diameter r1 forms the firing chamber of firing torch formation 13, 14 for the technological cylinder heating.

Unit for mixing 8, of the second stage, is made as an injector with a separate entries 19 for water, in the steam form, and hydrocarbon component 18.

The setup is equipped with fuel tanks, which is made as separate, sealed, discharge containers for water 1 and the hydrocarbon component 2)

Discharge water container 1 is connected via pipe 17 to the inlet of the first section of the technological cylinder of vaporization chamber 10, the outlet of vaporization chamber is connected via pipe to the injector first inlet, the second inlet of which is connected to the hydrocarbon component discharge container, the injector outlet is connected via pipe to a section 11 for heating a steam and gas mixture, section 11 for heating a steam and gas mixture is connected via pipe 21 with a additional heating chamber 12 to form a fuel mixture, outlet this chamber is connected via pipe 23 to the inlet of the firing chamber 9, where the turbine burner system is installed, this system has ignition device with spark-ignition pulse source 5, working burner 3 start-up burner 4, on the firing chamber outlet is installed the working torch formation element 16, as a constrict unit, 15.

Ratio of radii of tubes, forming the technological cylinder for fuel mixture producing is:

0.3>(R1/r2)>0.1

Where: R1—outer diameter of the inner tube,

-   -   r2—inner diameter of outer tube.

At the turbine burner system inlet is installed turbocharger unit 6, and into the discharge containers 12 is maintained constant overpressure of 0.3-0.5 MPa.

The graph of FIG. 6 shows dependence of the temperature in the technological cylinder on its sections. 

1. A multistage method for producing hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel, the method comprising steps of: realizing a process of fuel producing as a multi stages process with closed cycle, wherein in a first stage water is introduced and heated up to a water steam formation, at later stages a hydrocarbon component is introduced and mixed with water steam to form water steam and hydrocarbon mixture, entering separately by pumping under pressure the hydrocarbon component and water into a technological cylinder heated by firing torch, the technological cylinder is divided on isolated sections, number of which corresponds the number of fuel producing stages, heating, additionally, the mixture up to a temperature of forming of hydrogen-containing a gaseous fuel, separating a gaseous fuel flow and directing one part of the gaseous fuel flow into ignition zone, to ensure a firing torch burning and other part of the gaseous fuel flow for storing and external consuming, providing a process of formation and maintenance of the fire torch realizing start-up of the process of fuel producing in a forced heating mode, and carrying out of process of the fuel producing—in a normal mode of self-heating.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the normal mode of self-heating processes of formation of hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel is carried out with heating in three stages, in a first stage water is introduced by pumping under a pressure of 0.3-0.5 MPa and heating the water steam formation with a temperature of 500-550° C., in a second stage the hydrocarbon component is introduced into the mixer by pumping under pressure of 0.3-0.5 MPa, this component is mixed with water steam in the mixer by injection under pressure of 0.06-0.25 MPa, at a ratio of water to hydrocarbon component from 10.5:1 to 8:1, and the mixture is heated up to a temperature of 1000-1100° C., at a third stage the mixture is heated up to a temperature of 1300-2000° C.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the normal mode of self-heating ignition is carried out by an ignition pulse unit with an external source—sparking generator, running with a frequency of 1-2 Hz.
 4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the normal mode of self-heating the flow of gaseous fuel is separated and directed one part into igniting zone to form the fire torch, and other part for storage and external consumption.
 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the process of formation and maintenance of the fire torch is carried out with a turbo charging.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein at the process start-up in a mode of forced heating first perform preliminary pumping of water in an amount of 40-50% of maximum amount of normal working volume under pressure 0.3-0.5 MPa, in the first stage heating is carried out until formation of water steam at a temperature 450-500° C., heating is carried out by independent source of heat.
 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein at start-up of the process in a forced heating mode ignition of the steam and hydrocarbon mixture is carried out from an independent source by ignition spark pulse device with an independent sparking source, which operate with a frequency of 40-50 Hz.
 8. A thermal gas setup for hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel producing with closed cycle, said setup comprising housing, a burner system, firing chamber, unit for components mixing, pulse ignition unit, pipes and start-up system, including independent induction heat source, start-up burner with a supply of combustible fuel, the setup is equipped with fuel tanks, made as separate sealed discharge containers for water and hydrocarbon component, complex housing is made as a two cylindrical tubes, imbedded in one another with a gap, forming technological cylinder, divided on isolated sections, so a section number correspond to number of stages of the process of making of fuel mixture, said cylinder concludes a first section with an independent induction source of heat, section corresponds to vaporization stage, a second section of stage of components mixing and heating a steam and gas mixture, a third section of an additional heating stage for the fuel mixture producing, the inner tube cavity forms the firing chamber, unit for mixing is made as injector with separate inlets for water as a steam, and hydrocarbon component, with all that outlet of a last section of the technological cylinder is connected via pipe to the inlet of firing chamber, where is installed the burner system with ignition device with spark ignition pulse source, a working burner, start-up burner, at a firing chamber outlet is installed working torch forming element, as a restriction device, discharge water container is connected via pipe to the inlet of a first section of the technological cylinder, outlet of which is connected via pipe to first inlet of injector, the second inlet of injector is connected via pipe to discharge container of hydrocarbon component, injector outlet is connected via pipe to the technological cylinder second section, connected via pipe to third section of technological cylinder.
 9. The setup according to claim 8, wherein ratio of radii of tubes, forming the technological cylinder for fuel mixture producing is: 0.3>(R1/r2)>0.1; Where R1—outer diameter of the inner tube, r2—inner diameter of outer tube
 10. The setup according to claim 8, wherein the turbo charging unit is installed on the Inlet of the burner system.
 11. The setup according to claim 8, wherein a constant overpressure of 0.3-0.5 MPa is supported in the discharge containers.
 12. A multistage method for producing hydrogen-containing gaseous fuel, the method comprising steps of: realizing a process of fuel producing as a multi stages process with closed cycle, wherein in a first stage water is introduced and heated up to a water steam formation, at later stages a hydrocarbon component is introduced and mixed with water steam to form water steam and hydrocarbon mixture, entering separately by pumping under pressure the hydrocarbon component and water into a technological cylinder heated by firing torch, the technological cylinder is divided on isolated sections, number of which corresponds the number of fuel producing stages, heating, additionally, the mixture up to a temperature of forming of hydrogen-containing a gaseous fuel, separating a gaseous fuel flow and directing one part of the gaseous fuel flow into ignition zone, to ensure a firing torch burning and other part of the gaseous fuel flow for storing or external consuming, providing a process of formation and maintenance of the fire torch realizing start-up of the process of fuel producing in a forced heating mode, and carrying out of process of the fuel producing—in a normal mode of self-heating.
 13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the normal mode of self-heating the flow of gaseous fuel is separated and directed one part into igniting zone to form the fire torch, and other part for storage or external consumption.
 14. The method according to claim 1, wherein at start-up of the process in a forced heating mode ignition of the steam and other fuel components, is carried out from an independent source by ignition spark pulse device with an independent sparking source, which operate with a frequency of 40-50 Hz.
 15. The method according to claim 6, wherein, the independent source of heat is an induction heater. 